APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Junior starting pitcher Alex Robles struck out a season-high eight batters over seven innings and junior second baseman Garrett Copeland had three hits and scored three times to pace Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to a 6-2 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Murray State, Thursday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
![Austin Peay Baseball gets OVC win over Murray State Thursday night. (APSU Sports Information) Austin Peay Baseball gets OVC win over Murray State Thursday night. (APSU Sports Information)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/APSU-Baseball-39-480x322.jpg)
Robles would surrender his second run in the sixth after a one-out single was followed by a two-out RBI double.
Yet by the time Robles allowed Murray State onto the scoreboard, Austin Peay (11-9, 4-3 OVC) had already supplied four runs of support.
Junior second baseman Garrett Copeland had a big hand in the early scoring. He led off the first inning with a single and scored on first baseman Dre Gleason‘s single later in the frame.
Two innings later, Copeland led off the third with a double. After a center fielder Patrick Massoni‘s sacrifice bunt, third baseman Ridge Smith popped out to the Racers shortstop in shallow left field. Copeland challenged the fielder’s arm and slid under the tag at home to supply the game’s third run.
Austin Peay would tack on an insurance run in the fourth and two more tallies in the seventh. Copeland again factored into the seventh-inning rally, leading off with a double. He would score on Masson’s double to right for a 5-2 lead. Massoni then scored on a wild pitch to set the game’s final score.
Copeland led Austin Peay with a 3-for-4, two double, three-run scored performance. The five batters behind him in the order each recorded a RBI. Massoni, who returned after missing the previous five games, went 2-for-3 with a RBI.
Robles (4-2) had a strikeout in each of his seven innings, striking out two in the fifth to end the Racers threat. He surrendered two runs on seven hits and walked three batters.
It was Robles’ fourth quality start in six outings this season.
Murray State (11-13, 3-4 OVC) finished with eight hits but had two hits in an inning only twice. Catcher Tyler Lawrence and second baseman Caleb Hicks each had two hits to pace the Racers offense.
MSU starter Jack Hranec (2-2) surrendered six runs on nine hits in his longest outing of the season (six-plus innings). He struck out seven batters and walked two but lost for the first time since March 4th against Creighton.
Austin Peay and Murray State continue their three-game OVC set with a 6:00pm, Friday contest at Raymond C. Hand Park.